How UC Davis students can secure internships through Handshake and Career Center resources
By JALAN TEHRANIFAR — features@theaggie.org
With the holiday season behind us, it is the perfect time for students to kick off their search and applications for summer 2025 internships. While six months might seem far away, many companies start seeking student interns well in advance. In fact, most internship applications open as early as December, with deadlines typically falling between January and March.
Fortunately, UC Davis has several resources available for students through the Career Center. An important resource available to UC Davis students is Handshake, a job board that connects employers only with university students and alumni, unlike other platforms that serve a broader audience of applicants. UC Davis students automatically have Handshake accounts, allowing students to simply log in with their UC Davis Kerberos to activate it.
Handshake is used to search and apply for jobs and internships, schedule appointments with career advisors at the Career Center, sign up for company interviews and connect students with other students. The Career Center suggests keeping your Handshake profile up to date to improve your chances of getting an internship, as well as your resume.
“The more details you provide about your academics and experience, the easier it is for Handshake to tailor jobs and internships for you,” the Career Center website reads. “Employers can also contact you through Handshake, so having an updated profile allows them to see your accomplishments and skills that they may be looking for.”
Shreya Rupani, a fourth-year sociology major, said that Handshake has been helpful in getting her in touch with employers.
“I took a career-building seminar course one of my first quarters here, and the instructors taught us how to create our Handshake profiles and turn our resumes into sections on the app,” Rupani said. “I haven’t applied for any internships or jobs on there, but I get contacted by a lot of hiring managers who have seen my profile and think I would be a good fit for their company.”
Rupani said that it’s good to have your profile active even if you aren’t looking for a job at the moment. She emphasized Handshake’s ability to introduce different companies.
“I really like that companies are able to reach out to students on the platform because you get to hear from different companies that you may not have known exists and see what positions they generally look for,” Rupani said. “My major is pretty broad, and I can apply what I have learned to a lot of different types of positions, so it’s nice to see what’s out there.”
UC Davis’ on-campus internships and research opportunities can also be found on Handshake. UC Davis staff and departments post opportunities and job descriptions at the beginning of each quarter, as well as when positions become available throughout the quarter.
Melayna Ramos, a third-year forensic chemistry major, found her on-campus internship through Handshake with UC Davis Intercollegiate Athletics.
“Around this time last year, I was looking for any job or paid internship on campus, because it was convenient to work where you go to school,” Ramos said. “I came across an internship opportunity to film for the UC Davis football team during winter ball and throughout the 2024 football season. I didn’t really have any experience in camera work, but that’s the great thing about on-campus internships — they take the time to teach students the skills they need to be successful.”
The job application process through the Handshake app was easy, according to Ramos. Having her resume already saved in her account allowed her to apply with one click.
“All I had to do was filter my search for on-campus jobs and internships, and it immediately gave me a list of all the openings,” Ramos said. “I didn’t use any keywords since I wasn’t looking for anything specific, but I found a lot of positions that I was interested in. All I did was click apply — I didn’t get sent to an external tab — and I selected my previously uploaded resume and submitted it.”
Having a resume already drafted and ready to upload to Handshake makes applying to internships easier. Ramos said that the advisors at the Career Center were helpful in resume writing, as she was able to go to resume-writing workshops.
“I went to one of the workshops the Career Center hosts, and they showed my examples of good resumes and helped me figure out what skills and experience to prioritize,” Ramos said. “I was also told it’s important to tailor your resume to the job or internship you’re applying for, so I always make sure to do that too.”
When looking for internships, it’s difficult to know what type of workplace and industry would be a good fit. A great place to start is by attending a career fair, which is hosted by the Career Center four to six times a year, as it allows you to meet employers and ask questions about positions before applying.
The Career Center also recommends that students attend information sessions and career fairs to learn about career options, network and explore opportunities.
Natalie DiMeglio, a 2024 UC Davis graduate with a degree in cinema and digital media, held two internships as an undergraduate student. A helpful resource for her was the on-campus Involvement Fair, which introduced the opportunity to join Aggie Studios, an ASUCD production group, according to DiMeglio. This opportunity led to her internship with UC Davis Strategic Communications, as networking with students in the same field allowed her to learn about more internship openings.
“My internship was with Aggie Studios and UC Davis Strategic Communications in the visual communication department,” DiMeglio said. “Both of my internships opened my eyes to the possibilities out there in creative fields despite what people say about them. It made me realize how much I love what I do and that being able to get paid for it was possible.”
Internships are a great way to test whether you want to pursue a career in a certain field. For DiMeglio, her internships reinforced her desire to work in the creative media industry.
“Both of my internships opened my eyes to the possibilities out there in creative fields,” DiMeglio said. “My current job is a production assistant and photographer with the Los Angeles Kings, NHL, and I also am a contracted photographer with the Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.”
Career Fair dates and employer lists can be found on the Career Center website, as well as on the Handshake platform. For students who are not looking for internships just yet, Career Fairs are a great opportunity to network with employers and build relationships for the future. Networking is crucial to career building — something that DiMeglio recommends.
“I think my best advice to students would be to talk to people and make connections,” DiMeglio said. “No matter the field you’re in, a lot of the rough market is about connections. I had so many people I looked up to in the industry and so I figured if I wanna be where they are, I need to talk to them — and so I did.”
Written by: Jalan Tehranifar — features@theaggie.org
